Why Is My Candied Fruit Not Hardening?
Making candied fruits at home is a task. It needs to be done carefully, otherwise, the results might not turn out as expected. You might have noticed that your candied fruits are not hardening sufficiently. Why do you think this happens?
Candied fruits do not harden adequately because of incorrect temperature. It is very crucial to maintain the temperature while making candies at home. A proper temperature will determine the hardening of the candies.
Therefore, it is important to have a candy thermometer while making candied fruits at home. This will keep the temperature in check constantly and will boost the process of candy-making. So, the next time you are making candied fruits, keep the temperature in check.
Do’s And Don’ts Of Candy Making
Candy-making needs to be done correctly. Here are some do’s and don’ts that you need to ensure while making candies. Check them out below.
Do’s
- Candied fruits need to be dried sufficiently. Therefore pick a dry day to finish making candies. A humid day will spoil the candy-making process as they will not set properly.
- Use candy thermometers to keep a check on the temperature. Make sure the temperature is right so that the candied fruits turn out perfectly.
- Make sure the fruits are completely submerged in the syrup so that it turns out even from all sides.
- Cook all the candies in a clean and deep pan. Also, make sure that the pan you are cooking in is sturdy.
- Use accurate measurements of ingredients, otherwise, the candied fruits will turn out to be sticky or grainy.
- Handle the cooking process and the hot ingredients carefully. Take a step back while adding ingredients to the pan to save yourself from burns.
Don’ts
- Do not add the sugar in cold water. Add it only when the water comes to a boil and cook it on medium flame. Also, avoid cooking it too quickly.
- Use a wooden spatula to stir the recipe. A metal spoon might not be a good option as it might get unbearably hot due to heat conductivity.
- Do not add ingredients of your own. Adhere to the list of ingredients strictly and use specific quantities of them for the best results.
- While pouring the syrup out of the pan, do not scrap the sides of your pan as this might lead to crystallization.
Why Is My Candied Fruit Grainy?
One of the possible reasons for the candied fruit to be grainy is the subsequent addition of sugar into the liquid candy. This happens because the additional sugar crystallizes and as a result becomes gritty.
You can avoid this, stir the sugar syrup frequently and use a damp pastry brush to wipe your fruits before pouring in the syrup. Alternatively, if you are using a pan to make the syrup, cover the pan for the first few minutes.
Another possible reason for the candied fruit to turn grainy is the addition of too much citric acid, more than the required quantities. Extra citric acid will make the appearance of the syrup crumbly when it hardens. Generally, ΒΌ teaspoon of citric acid is required for one pound of candies.
Why Is My Candied Fruit Soft And Sticky?
Candied fruit can be soft and sticky due to too much moisture. This can happen because you might not have cooked the syrup properly and the moisture might not have evaporated sufficiently. So, it is essential to cook out all the water.
Another reason for the candied fruit to turn out sticky is that it might not have been cooked properly at the right temperatures. Therefore, make sure you cook the syrup properly before hardening your fruits.
